Food Waste Collection

Free Compost !

We are giving out free finished compost ! To encourage organic lawn care we are giving out 5 buckets of free compost to all the participants. Please stop by our Public Works Office to receive your share.

Holiday Collection Schedule

Due to holiday, Monday, February 16th Food Waste collection will be moved to Tuesday, February 17th. For details on holiday schedule, please visit the Holiday Schedule Page.

About Food Waste Collection

A pilot for the City of Takoma Park food waste collection program began in mid-February of 2013. The program makes it easier for residents to get rid of household food waste in a sustainable fashion. According to data from the pilot almost 30% of what would is disposed of in regular trash (which is incinerated) could be composted.

This curbside collection program is now available to all the households within the City of Takoma Park. Single family and multi-family properties with twelve (12) units or less that are currently receive City of Takoma Park curbside trash and recycling pickup are eligible to participate in the food waste collection program.

Register for Food Waste Collection

Interested in registering your household for the curbside food waste collection program? The City’s food waste collection program is accepting new participants... read on and learn how to sign-up!

The City of Takoma Park's Public Works Department and The Compost Crew operate curbside food waste collection routes. Households with a Thursday trash route or Friday trashroute can register by filling out the form at the bottom of this page (jump to the form). Public Works staff will follow up with you to let you know how to get started!

Households with a Wednesday trash route are divided into two areas and are serviced by either the Compost Crew or Public Works. Review the map below to determine your service provider. Households within the Compost Crew service area are highlighted yellow and should register on The Compost Crew's website. Households with Wednesday routes outside of the yellow area will be serviced by Public Works and can register at the bottom of this page. Households with a Tuesday trash route can register on The Compost Crew's website.

Collection Schedule

The Food Waste from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday trash routes will be collected on Monday morning,while the collection for households with a Friday Trash route will be done on Friday morning. The curb service schedule is subject to holiday changes. Visit the Public Works Holiday Schedule page for a comprehensive list of holidays affecting food waste collection service in Takoma Park.

Information For Participants

Participants will receive a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a tight sealing lid and a supply of compostable bin liners. Curbside collection takes place once a week. Participants should have their containers at the curb by 6:00 am on the collection day.

The food waste collection pilot program will provide a limited supply of compostable plastic bags to each participant. Once the supply has run out, participants can purchase compostable bin liners from local stores such as Ace Hardware and the TPSS Co-Op. An alternative to compostable bags is to use a paper bag or no bag at all. Frequent cleaning of the containers is necessary to keep odors down.

Please direct your questions and concerns related to the program to:

Nima Upadhyay
Special Projects Coordinator
Department of Public Works
Phone: 301-891-7621
Email: NimaU@takomaparkmd.gov

What is Accepted & Not Accepted?

Accepted

Not-Accepted

Fruit and vegetable scraps (fresh or cooked)

Fats, oils, grease

Meat, fish, shellfish (including bones)

Facial tissues

Dairy products (cheese, butter, ice cream, etc.)

Styrofoam

Bread, pasta, rice, grains, cereal, baked goods, etc.

Pet waste

Nuts, beans, seeds (including shells/hulls)

Diapers

Coffee grounds, filters, tea bags (no foil or foil-backed products)

Paper products (paper towels, napkins, & paper plates)

Pizza boxes (remove non-food items)

Chopsticks & popsicle sticks

External Links. The City of Takoma Park does not endorse, review, control, or recommend viewpoints, materials, or products contained in third party websites, unless noted.

Registration Form

Takoma Park Food Waste Collection Registration Form

The food waste collection program is now available to all the households within the City of Takoma Park. Single family and multi-family properties with twelve (12) units or less that currently receive City of Takoma Park curbside trash and recycling pickup are eligible to participate in the food waste collection program.

Households with a Thursday trash route or Friday trash route can register by filling out this form. Public Works staff will follow up with you to let you know how to get started! Households with a Wednesday trash route are divided into two areas and are serviced by either the Compost Crew or Public Works. Review the map above to determine your service provider. Households within the Compost Crew service area are highlighted yellow and should register on The Compost Crew's website. Households with Wednesday routes outside of the yellow area will be serviced by Public Works and can register with this form. Households with a Tuesday trash route should register on The Compost Crew's website.